Beat Pennsylvania Speeding Ticket

Beat Pennsylvania Speeding Ticket
At the stop you are technically under arrest but normally allowed to continue on your way once the officer has issued you your Pennsylvania speeding ticket. The officer has the right to ask you and any passengers to exit the vehicle. He also has the right to "pat" you down for weapons if he has reason to fear for his safety. He may also ask for your consent to search your vehicle. How to act during the stop is fully covered in our article Pennsylvania Speeding Ticket Stop

You do not have the right to ask to see the radar unit so do not even ask. Only the PA state troopers use radar, local officers use a timing device called VASCAR. Since many stops are on tape, you should not say or do anything that would prevent you from later contesting the Pennsylvania speeding ticket in court.

Your first step is to determine the exact charge and the consequences to your pocketbook. Insurance companies look closely at your driving record and just one ticket can dramatically increase your auto insurance premiums for three years. Look at the statute number on the ticket and find the exact law. Read the statute carefully to be sure that you understand the violation. If it is a city code then you may have to go to city hall or the local library.

Generally you should always contest a traffic ticket but that is an individual decision based on your specific circumstances. Check the court date on the ticket and make arrangements well in advance of your court date. Unless it is a mandatory court appearance the officer will write the amount of the fine on the ticket. If you decide to plead guilty, simply send a money order to the court or pay online so that it reaches the clerk before your court date. We suggest CRRR and keeping a copy with your tax papers. If you are replying by mail you must detach the lower portion, sign and complete either line a or b.

If you are pleading NOT GUILTY, a money order for bond
must be enclosed in the amount shown as Total Due in ITEM 28, plus $6.00 costs. If the Total Due is not specified, the check or money order for bond must be in the amount of $50.00. The Pennsylvania traffic court will notify you by mail of the trial
date.

You must either appear, pay the fine, retain a Pennsylvania traffic attorney or enter a not guilty plea and request a trial at a future date. If you appear, you are usually offered a reduction in the points and fine in return for a guilty plea and immediate cash payment. If you are not satisfied with the offer, you still have the option of pleading not guilty and requesting a trial.

Pennsylvania License Suspension

The Pennsylvania Department of Motor Vehicles will suspend your license in a heartbeat. If you are under 18 and get more than six points on your license or your Pennsylvania speeding ticket is 26 mph+ over, your PA drivers license will be suspended for 90 days and you'll be required to pass a written test and pay a reinstatement fee to PennDOT. Continue to get speeding tickets and the suspensions will keep adding up. PennDOT does remove points from your record for safe driving. If you can go 12 months without getting a Pennsylvania traffic violation that results in points, a suspension, or a revocation, the state will remove 3 points from your record.

PENNSYLVANIA DRIVERS LICENSE POINTS

PA Traffic Violation Points
Violating license restrictions (not wearing glasses, for ex.): 2 points
Failure to obey an authorized person directing traffic: 2 points
Not stopping at a red light: 3 points
Ignoring a flashing red light: 3 points
Failure to yield half of roadway to oncoming traffic: 3 points
Improper passing on a hill: 4 points
All other improper passing: 3 points
Tailgating: 3 points
All failures to yield: 3 points
Ignoring approaching train signals: 2 points
Circumventing train gates: 4 points and a 30-day suspension
Not stopping for a school bus with flashing red lights: 5 points and 60-day suspension
Not stopping when entering from an alley, driveway, or building: 3 points
Exceeding the speed limit by six to 10 mph: 2 points
Exceeding the speed limit by 11 to 15 mph: 3 points and a 15-day suspension if in a work zone
Exceeding the speed limit by 16 to 25 mph: 4 points and a 15-day suspension if in a work zone
Exceeding the speed limit by 26 to 30 mph: 5 points and a 15-day suspension if in a work zone
Exceeding the speed limit by 31 mph or more: 5 points, a 15-day suspension if in a work zone, and possible other penalties as determined by a hearing examiner
Not yielding to pedestrian in crosswalk: 2 points
Not yielding to blind pedestrian: 3 points
Improper backing: 3 points
Careless driving: 3 points
Leaving the scene of an accident that results in property damage: 4 points

Pennsylvania Speeding Ticket Lawyer

Considering the auto insurance increase, you need to try to beat your Pennsylvania speeding ticket. Hiring a Pennsylvania speeding ticket attorney is not cheap but it is cheaper than having your license suspended or paying the increase in your auto insurance premiums for three years.

Pennsylvania Auto Insurance

If you know that a major Pennsylvania speeding ticket is going to appear on your record, you need to consider cancelling your current insurance and purchasing a full year with another carrier.

All insurance companies are different so only your insurance agent can tell you how much to expect your premiums to increase. Insurance points are not the same as driver's license points

One way to be sure that you are getting the best deal on Pennsylvania auto insurance is to shop around.

Never allow your insurance to cancel for non-payment. If you cannot pay always cancel your New Jersey auto insurance and then park your car. A bad credit report can also increase your auto insurance premiums.

Pennsylvania License - Out of State Speeding Ticket

Pennsylvania Department of Motor Vehicles will not post an out of state speeding ticket to your record. This includes the infamous Virgina Reckless Driving ticket but serious charges like DUI will appear. PennDOT will suspend your license if you fail to pay an out of state fine. This does not mean that the state where you received the ticket cannot suspend your right to drive in that state. I have talked to several PA drivers who have been charged with DWS in Virgina although they held a valid PA drivers license. Always be sure of the consequences before paying any speeding ticket.

Radar Detector Recommendations

PREVENT FUTURE TRAFFIC TICKETS
Purchasing a quality radar detector and laser detector and learning how to use it can help prevent future traffic tickets.

Pennsylvania Speed Trap Locations

These locations are sent to us from various sources and we assume no responsibility for their correctness. If you have one to report, click on the Pennsylvania Legal Help link at the top of the page and put it in the comments section of the form.

Galeton, Pennsylvania Speed Trap

Route 6 starts as a 55 mph zone, goes to a 35 mph zone, and then 1/10th of a mile later, changes to a 25 mph zone. They clock you just as you enter the 25mph zone before the red light.

Pennsylvania Speeding Ticket Information

Philadelphia Traffic Court Excellent site with forms and information on how to request a continuance or appeal your guilty verdict.

PA Court Rules Good for finding all the current statutes for transportation, including the Rules of criminal and civil procedures.

Pennsylvania Radar Good for finding the latest changes to the statutes. From time to time they update statutes and send out bulletins to everyone but the official statutes was not updated on pacodes so you need to look here to make sure nothing changed. This is the place where they list all the approved speed measuring equipment and calibrations stations.

Pennsylvania Discovery Request Good for filing a discovery request for the PA State Police, they make it easy for you unlike your local Police which require an Court order discovery request.

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This may be considered AN ADVERTISEMENT or Advertising Material under the Rules of Professional Conduct governing Pennsylvania lawyers. Under no circumstance will Speeding Ticket Central be held liable for any loss or damage caused by a visitor's reliance on information obtained through this web site or any other communication from us. It is the responsibility of each individual visitor to evaluate the accuracy, completeness or usefulness of any information, opinion, advice or other content. Speeding Ticket Central is intended to provide you only with general information. However, there is no guarantee that this information is comprehensive or accurate. Speeding Ticket Central does NOT provide legal, financial, or tax advice. Please consult a professional in these areas. Only an attorney licensed in your state can provide you with legal advice.